The present invention is in the field of attachment hardware and more particularly, the present invention provides an apparatus and system to couple a bracket member to a receiver member, such as a bracket for mounting a server to a rail of a server rack or the like.
Computers and data storage devices are housed in standardized equipment enclosures. These enclosures may have an outer, aesthetically pleasing housing that is supported by an inner rack. The rack is a substantially rectilinear metal frame including several vertical columns and rails, each provided with a plurality of mounting and alignment appendages, such as tabs and extensions to mount various devices in the rack.
Brackets attach to the rails, for example, to secure servers or other devices. The brackets have openings to hook extensions protruding from the rail, as well as features to attach the brackets to the servers. After attaching the brackets to the servers, the brackets are fastened to the rails with screws, thumbscrews, or bolts.
Attaching brackets to rails of a server, or other types of bracket members to receiver members, with screws, thumbscrews, or bolts is not only cumbersome and time-consuming, but also inefficient with regards to space utility. For instance, assembling a server rack and mounting servers can include attaching a couple dozen brackets to rails with a couple dozen or more screws or bolts. Each bracket is positioned on a rail and tediously screwed or bolted to the rail. Further, upon attaching the brackets to the rails, the screw heads or bolt heads and nuts consume or inhibit the use of potentially useable space of the server rack. In some of these situations, the screws or bolts can require more space than is available to attach the server to a rail so either a server having different dimensions is mounted in the rack or the space remains unutilized.
The problems identified above are in large part addressed by a system and apparatus for coupling bracket members with receiver members, such as brackets to rails of server racks, via a flexible member. The flexible member may secure a bracket member to a receiver member by fastening the bracket member to a corresponding extension or tab of the receiver member. Some embodiments may load a second portion of the flexible member such that pressure applied to the second portion can transfer the load to a first portion of the flexible member to facilitate coupling the bracket member with or decoupling the bracket member from the receiver member. In many of these embodiments, the load may transfer as a waveform along the flexible member. Further embodiments provide a lever for the second portion of the flexible member to facilitate transferring a load to the first portion.